Otty Lake Association

Welcome to the Otty Lake Association Website

Summer Information Package

Due to the need to maintain physical distance in this time of COVID, our Otty Lake Area Counsellors will not be making their usual door-to-door visits. Instead we are making the information available through this website. Your Area Counsellor remains available to you through email and phone contact.

Boat Launch Opening May 1

A message from Tay Valley Township:

Otty Lake and Little Silver Lake Boat Launches to Open May 1 

Though the provincial boat launches remain closed, both of the municipal boat launches on Otty Lake and Little Silver Lake will open on Friday, May 1.  

The public is reminded to social distance when using boat launches and only boat or fish by yourself or with people you live with. 

For further information regarding Township services during the pandemic visit http://www.tayvalleytwp.ca/en/resident-services/covid-19--coronavirus-.asp.

 

Etransfer Your OLA Membership Fees

The OLA Board hopes you and your families are staying healthy during these unusual times.  

In order to continue the work and education around the lake, we do rely on your membership dues. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, it has been decided that our Area Counsellors will not be making their annual visits to your homes with our information packages. Many of you used that opportunity to make you payemnt. Instead, please consider  paying your $25 dues by e-transfer to [email protected]  The security question to input is "Nearest Town", and the answer is "PerthON". Or if you prefer, you can mail a cheque made out to the Otty Lake Association for $25 to Otty Lake Association, Box 20122, Perth, ON K7H 3M6.
 
Thank-you for working together to promote good water quality in Otty Lake, as well as fostering environmentally responsible use of our waters.  And thank you to those of you who have already paid following our April 26 email - much appreciated!

Message Re COVID-19

A message from Brian Campbell, Reeve of Tay Valley Township and Warden of Lanark County, to seasonal residents of lake communities:

"COTTAGERS SHOULD RESIST THE URGE TO HEAD TO THE COTTAGE AT THIS VERY DIFFICULT AND STRESSFUL TIME "

While we would normally welcome cottagers to our communities, at this time our primary focus must be to ensure that our local heath care resources are not overloaded and, as well, that our local grocery store demands are not put under even more pressure.

We want to ensure that we are doing our best to keep everyone safe and the more we do to follow the rules we WILL beat this.

I would like to thank everyone for their co-operation
Brian Campbell

 

February 2020 Log is Here

The latest edition of Captain Otty's Log is ready. Leaves in the lake, the Jebb's Creek Embayment update, microplastics, Lake Partners Program, and mandatory septic reinspections are some of the topics covered.

Also included is a 2020 membership form! Please note that memberships are now $25. Why not give the etransfer option a try? It is easy for you and for our membership coordinator.

If there is something you would like to read about in the newsletter, or if you know of someone knowledgeable about a topic of interest to our readers, please let us know. We are always open to suggestions. 

Shoreline Planting Program is Back!

March 17: Plants are sold out except for 10 sugar maple.

Thanks to the RVCA we will once again be able to offer discounted trees and shrubs to OLA members. The trees being offered are white birch, tamarack and sugar maple. The shrubs are highbush cranberry, black elderberry and nannyberry. Cost to members is $2 or $4. Preorders will be taken by Eileen Johnston (thanks Eileen!) Please order by April 5, 2020. Pickup day is Sat. June 13 at 183 Mile Point Road. Please bring exact cash that day. Contact Eileen: [email protected]

 

State of the Lake 2019

The OLA's annual summary of lake conditions is now available. This is the sixth year that this compilation of data on the physical and chemical limnology of Otty Lake, fisheries, loons and shoreline planting has been made. Many thanks to those who contributed, and to Murray Hunt for pulling it together.

 

Citizen Science

Want to know how you as an individual can contribute to our collective knowledge of the natural world? There are loads of opportunities for you to participate by sharing your observations of bats, birds, snow, invasive species, butterflies, worms, turtles and more. The Lake Links team put together this list of Ontario programs in preparation for this year's annual workshop.

 

Lake Protection is Everyone's Responsibility

The “Lake Protection Workbook: A Self-Assessment Tool for Shoreline Property Owners” is designed for you to self-assess whether activities and uses on your property are protecting Otty Lake. Your property is important to the overall health of our lake - every action matters. For a printed copy of this workbook, contact [email protected].   

New Board Members Elected
at 2019 AGM

There are lots of new faces and responsibilities at the board table! Krista Hearty McLean will take over as President and Kyla Haley will be Vice President. Christine Kilburn continues as Treasurer, Jacquie Mallory as Recording and Board Secretary, and Monika Savage as Communications Secretary. New directors include Linda Cuthbertson, Kristen Brouse and Kevin Terrion. What a great team!  Thanks to Reid Kiburn, now Past President (pictured here) , for leading the group so admirably the past four years.

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Depots Open for the Season

Tay Valley residents can access the HHWD in Middleville, 4686 Wolf Grove Road, from the Sat. May 18, 2019 until the Thanksgiving Day Weekend.  The site is available to all residents of Lanark Highlands and Tay Valley Township.  The depot is open during all regular Middleville waste site hours: Monday 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Wednesday 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturday  9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

 

Drummond North Elmsley residents are entitled to use the HHWD on Patterson Cres. in Carleton Place. It is open Saturday mornings 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. from May 18, 2019 until August 31, 2019, and is available to residents of certain Lanark County municipalities. These are Carleton Place, Mississippi Mills, Beckwith, Smiths Falls, Perth, Montague and Drummond North Elmsley ONLY.

 

A Shoreline Owner's Guide to

Healthy Waterfronts

This 28 page guide "offers you background information and advice on ways to make the most of your shoreline property while living in balance with your lake’s fragile ecosystem." There are sections on shorelines, docks, low impact recreation, animal proofing, aquatic plants and lots of other issues every lake front dweller should be aware of.

Otty Lake Catchment Report

The RVCA produces individual reports for the 14 catchments in the Tay River subwatershed.  These reports are produced every six years using data collected by the RVCA through its programs as well as local information provided by stakeholders.  Otty Lake Association representatives were given the opportunity to review the report before its release.

 

RVCA Watershed Conditions

The RVCA issues periodic Watershed Conditions Statements.   You can access these  statements on the RVCA website or sign up to be mailed updates.

Radon Testing

Elevated radon levels have been found in homes in every region of the country. Long term exposure to radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer. The only way to know for sure is to test for radon.

About 90 interested residents attended the evening information presentation at the Perth Pool April 2019. Thanks to our guest speakers: Manual Husain, Health Canada Regional Radiation Specialist and Bob Wood, Radiation Mitigation Specialist with Mr. Radon, who also provided five free Radonova long term home radon test kits.

The local Health Unit makes makes test kits available to residents for $20. Check here as they are not available at all locations.

Ticks and Lyme Disease:

This presentation by the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit was given to the Lake Networking Group in mid April 2018.

 

Tips for high risk areas from the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation.

 

What what you need to know about tick removal, how to recognize the Lyme Disease rash, and how Lyme disease is diagnosed.    

 

Black Bears around Otty Lake

Bears Bears are frequently seen in the Otty Lake watershed, and can peacefully coexist with residents.   Educate yourself on their behaviour in case you encounter one.  Bears are attracted to food of any kind, so be careful how you deal with garbage, fruit trees, barbeques and bird feeders. Generally, bears want to avoid humans. Most encounters are not aggressive and attacks are rare.

Emergency: Call 911.

If people, pets or livestock are in immediate danger.

Non Emergency: Call 1-866-514-2327

The Bear Wise reporting line (between April 1 and November 30). A bear passing by, in a tree, breaking into garbage, emptying bird feeders etc.

From Dec 1 to March 31, contact your local MNRF District office. The Kemptville office is (613) 258-8204.

 

 

 

The Lure of the Lake

Some of the original Otty Lake cottages are mentioned in this newspaper piece by Kay Rogers. It comes from her book 'At Home in Tay Valley,' that celebrates the people, places and events in the history of Tay Valley Township and Lanark County.

 

Home and Cottage Security

Protect your property by reviewing these security tips for seasonal and permanent residents:

The Pike Lake Community Association (PLCA) compiled this list of security tips following a meeting of the Lake Networking Group and the OPP earlier this fall.  Thanks to the PLCA for sharing!  

FOCA suggests marking your personal items, recording serial numbers, and making a list of what you have left at the cottage in their Cottage Closing Tips.

 This OPP Security Guard Tip sheet is relevant to seasonal and permanent residents alike.

 

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